I had my ear buds in as I stared out the window of the jeep as we passed house after house after house, Shastas head was laying in my lap while the driver that had picked me up turned down some street that I couldn't read let alone probably pronounce. From America to Korea o this was going to be fun, I had a week to learn to speak a whole other language and it really wasn't clicking in my brain. My lovely father had bought me a book to try to help me but it wasn't working either, it was all.....a foreign language to me.

  "Miss Renner we will be there in 5 mins." the driver known as Sgt. Evens said as he looked in the rearview mirror at me.

  "Roger that." I sighed as I pulled the hood to my sleeveless Captain America jacket over my face.

  He was right 5 mins later we had come to a stop and he opened the door for me, I gave him a smile as I stepped out of the jeep with Shasta jumping down right behind me. I grabbed my bags and walked towards the front door as the others continued to unload the truck and the jeep, I walked through the open door to see people every which way. I looked around and the house was pretty big...to big for just two people and Shasta.

  "Its about time you got here." I heard my fathers voice.

  I turned around to see him carrying in part of my bed, "hello Sir."

  "Your room is upstairs and to the right, Nik'nak." he said as him and some Pfc. carried the part of my bed up the stairs.

  I followed them and tried not to get in anyones way as I walked to the stairs and up them, just walking from the door to the stairs I could already tell this house was way to big for two people and Shasta. I walked into the room as my father and the other person put the part of my bed down, it was pretty nice one wall was nothing but windows that let in all kinds of sun light. There was a set of stairs up to a little loft and a bathroom up there as well, was pretty nice actually. Have no clue what I'm going to use it for but hey I'll figure something out.

  "Nik'nak follow me." my father said from the foot of the stairs. I sat my bags down and ran down the stairs and followed him down to the living room, through the kitchen and out a pair of sliding glass doors, "you see that building?" he said as he pointed at it.

  "Its kind of hard not to see it with my eyes open." I said sarcastically

  I felt a quick slap on the back of my head, "that is the dojo, the Lt. made sure everything in there was taken care of." he said as he turned to face me.

  I made a face and then nodded, "roger that Sir."

  At a very young age I had come to learn that once my father was in uniform it was the military way, he was no longer just my father he was a Col. in the army and wouldn't expect anything but respect and perfection.

  "You can go ahead and put together your room now, everything is up there." he said as he left me standing outside looking at the dojo.

  I walked back into the kitchen and slide the door closed and headed to my room to start putting it together, I had the perfect spot to put my bed and Shastas.

 

<(**)>

 

  "Well Shasta buddy what do you think?" I asked as I fell onto my bed, I could feel my bed shift under his weight as he jumped up onto it and my face. I sat up and pulled him into a hug and smiled, no matter what happened Shasta was always the one person I could talk to and who knew when I felt upset, sad, angry and sometimes alone.

  "Nik'nak you still up?" I heard my father ask as he knocked on the door then walked in.

  "You do know your suppose to knock first then talk then walk in right, not the other way around" I said as I walked down from the loft so see my father looking around the room.

  "Figured you'd put the bed in the loft, anyway here is your uniform for school tomorrow and a new pair of boots. I've noticed your old ones are starting to fall apart, can't have my little soldier going to school and not look put together right." he smiled.

  On the inside I sighed but on the outside I smiled, "thank you." Until I got a better look at the uniform, "umm what is this?" I asked as I held up the skirt.

  "A skirt."

  "I can see that, why didn't you get the boys uniform?" I asked as I looked at the skirt and stuck my tongue out at it.

  "Cause that's the uniform for girls and your a girl." was all he said before he left my room.

  I sighed and sat the uniform down on my desk as well as the new boots, if I was going to have to wear a skirt I was going to wear shorts under them.  I walked up to the loft and pulled out my pjs and walked into my bathroom, after the shower I wrapped the towel around me and wipped the fog off the mirror. I looked into the bright blue eyes of a person I had once been, but she was different now. She had once had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, but now she had dyed it to black and put red in it. Her once wild eyes now calm and dull with colored contacts, who know how much a person could change in two years. I touched the scar that made a home on my cheek bone right below the right corner of my right eye, parts of the scar had faded but it and the one that thinned my eye brow still showed.

  I finished drying off and put my pjs on and walked out into the loft to see Shasta laying in his bed waiting for me. "Well boy good night."

 

<(**)>

 

  As always I was up, dressed and ready for school before my father was ready for work. I had finished making two plates of eggs, bacon, and toast when he finally came down stairs, Shasta was sitting right beside me the whole time not moving an inch.

  "Sgt. Bown is going to drive you to school and pick you up." he said when he sat down at the island and started to stuff his face.

  "Roger." I said as I pulled my plate towards me and started to eat mine.

  "Alright see you later then." he kissed the back of my head as he threw the plate in the sink and walked out the front door.

  Our mornings had been like this for two years now, dead, dull, emotionless. If anything it hurt for things to turn out this way, but there was nothing I could do about it. I had finished my plate and rinsed off both plates and forks then placed them in the dish washer, I slide the door open to let Shasta out and the closed it. I made sure everything was locked up and walked out the front door to see a man maybe a few years older than myself walking towards me.

  "Miss Renner, I am Sgt. Bown and I'll be escorting you to and from school." he said as he stood in attention.

  "Roger that." Honestly I wished they would just give me a map and I'd walk to school, I had asked for that once but my father said no. I climbed into the back of the Jeep and buckled up as Sgt. Bown started the jeep and head for the school.

   I had one ear bud in as I jumped out of the Jeep before Sgt. Bown could, I shut the door and started through the gate. Like all other schools I had been too people stopped what they where doing to stair at me, I was the new person to try to pick on, to be friends with, or to hate. All in all I didn't care, I was walking through the doors to see a huge group of people surrounding five boys, one was standing in front of a boy who looked like he was going to cry. He looked over at one of the people standing behind him and held his hand out and took what look like a thing of coffee form him, I studied him for a moment then looked at the boy. Without even thinking I quickly made my way up to him and just before he could pour the coffee on the boy I grabbed his wrist. I could here everyone gasp as I glared at the boy, I took the coffee from him then poured it on him. "Good thing the coffee smelt bad, would be such a shame to waste good coffee." I pushed the guy away and left looking for my first classroom. I could hear everyone talking even if I didn't know what they where saying I knew what they where talking about.

  I had finally found my classroom and walked inside, I walked to a desk in the back and leaned back in my chair. My foot bounced to the beat of Let's Go by Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo, till I felt a tap on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked up to see a girl older than me, she bowed and started to ramble on, I bit my bottom lip and waited for her to stop talking. I gave her a smirk when she was finished, "I'm sorry but is it possible to get sub-tittles please?"

  "O sorry, I should have known you don't speak Korean." she giggled.

  "Nah, its your country I should try to learn Korean but it just doesn't click for me."

  "I can help you." she smiled.

  "Sorry if I'm being rude, but why?"

  "That boy that J.R. was going to spill coffee on was my little cousin, so I owe you." she said as she bowed again.

  "Ah don't worry about it, who's J.R.?" I asked lifting an eye brow.

  "The guy you spilt the coffee on."

  I made an O with my mouth, "will such a shame to waste any kind of coffee like that."

  She giggled, "I agree."

  I stood up from the desk and stuck my hand out, "My name is Nikki Renner."

 She took my hand with both of hers but as I was about to say something she giggled, "Cho Hee Cheon."

 "Can I just call you Cho?" I ask with half a smile.

 "As long as I get to call you Ren-Ren." she giggled.

 I laughed softly, "deal."

We had spent the rest of the time talking until class started, the teacher gave me all kinds of things in English and went on and on about something I didn't even understand. Cho must have seen the confusion on my face cause the whole time she was giggling, the teacher walked away and I went from looking at the books, at the teacher, at the board, then at Cho. She was trying so hard to hold in her laugh, I had finally given up trying to keep up with everything the teacher was saying and just stared out the window.

 "Finally." I said as I stretched and picked up all the crap the teachers have given me, it was time for lunch but my only plan was putting this crap in my locker.

 "Ren-Ren, you hungry?" Cho asked as she ran up to me as I held my brown paper bag in front of her face.

 "Starving."

  She smiled and hugged onto my arm and dragged me to a set of stairs and up to the roof, "I eat up here, its so quiet and calm."

 "Wont your friends miss you, if your eating up here?" I asked as I sat down and then fell backwards letting the wind blow through my hair.

  She didn't say anything and just looked down at her lunch.

  I sat up, "don't act like that you have me." I said as I pulled an apple out of the paper bag and bit into it.

 She looked at me and smiled, "gomawo"

  "What?"

  "It means thank you." she smiled as she started to eat her lunch.

  "Don't have to thank me for being your friend, that's just weird." I smirked at her.

  "Cho Hoo Cheon!"

  I turned to see a boy walk towards us, at first he too just started on with his native language till he looked at me. "And who is your friend you stupid girl?" he spoke in English.

  "Excuse me?" I stood up and turned to face him.

  "I am Kwan Yung."

  "Ah another bully."

  "I seen what you did to J.R. nice work." he smirked as he walked up to me.

  "Do you have a problem with my friend Kwan Yung." I changed the subject.

  "A problem with a stupid, plan, boring girl like her? Nope."

  I looked over at Cho who was looking at the ground, I could see tears running down her face. I could see a group of people surrounding us and among them was the guy I had spilt the coffee on, "listen for your own good you just might want to leave her alone."

  "O really and why is that Yankee?"

  "Cause I'm a Yankee like you said." I smirked.

  "What ever." he nodded his head towards Cho and a group of girls started to attack her.

  I grabbed his arm and threw him into a few of the girls attacking Cho and then stepped aside as one of the girls came after me, dodging and side stepping I let them take each other out. I'd grab onto some ones arm and twirl them around and send them into one of the girls running at me now, I could see Cho sitting on the ground crying. But she was looking up at what was going on, "Ren-Ren." I could hear her speak softly.

  I had thrown on last girl to the ground so the only person standing up was Kwan, "I worned you." I smirked.

 "This isn't over Yankee!" he yelled.

  "Didn't think it was going to be." I said as I walked away from him towards Cho.

  "Hey don't turn your back on me!!" he yelled.

  "You ok Cho?" I asked as I pulled out my white handkerchief and wiped of a bit of blood on her lip.

  She just hugged me and barred her face in the crook of my neck, I let her cry until she felt better. "Thank you."

  "Anytime," I smiled and pulled her to her feet, "I'll always have your back, no matter what Cho your not alone." I turned around to see the dude named J.R. and his gang. "And how can I help you, since I'm on a roll." I smiled.

  He walked close to me and was standing as close as he could, "I will make you pay, Yankee." he growled.

  "Really is that the only name you people can come up with, go ahead I'll be nice and let you try again."

  I could see the anger just build as I smiled in his face, "you better watch your back."

  I smiled, "I wish I could, I bet my shoulders do awesome tricks when I'm not watching." I looked at his group and two of them where smiling, I felt Cho hid behind me as she grabbed onto my uniform jacket.

  "Your mouth is going to be the end of you woman."

  "And yours is just not to bright is it, o well I gave you a shot. Cho lets get to class before the bell rings." I picked up my brown paper bag and pushed pass J.R. and his gang with Cho right behind me.

  "That was amazing Ren-Ren." she smiled.

  "It was nothing, I let them do all the fighting. No point in me getting angry and using up energy when they can beat up each other for me." I threw the brown paper bag away and walked with her to her locker.

  "Still not many people stand up to Kwan and J.R. both." she put her box in her locker.

  "Well when  you come from the US you learn these things."

  "Your the best Ren-Ren."

  "Lets just get to class." I laughed as she hugged onto my arm.

 

<(**)>

 

  "See you tomorrow Ren-Ren!!" Cho waved as she ran down the road towards her home.

  I waved back and walked towards where the Jeep was suppose to be, I leaned up against the wall with one ear bud in.

  "So your little germ left you huh?"

  I turned to face J.R. and his gang again, "I do have to give you an A for effort I really do." I clapped my hands together.

  J.R. pulled his arm back and was about to hit me till a rather angry growling sound stopped him, I looked over to see Shasta edgeing closer towards us with his fangs showing. The hairs on his back where standing up and his tail was erect, "whos' mutt is that?" he cursed.

  "His name is Shasta and I'd be careful who you call a mutt...Mutt." I patted his shoulder and walked towards Shasta.

  I walked down the side walk with Shasta behind me, "hey wait up!!"

  I turned around to see one of J.R.s gang members running towards me, "what you want some too."

 "Nope I find it funny, J.R. has been racking his brain trying to figure out a way to get to you." he laughed.

 "His rather slow isn't he."

 "I'm Baekho." he smiled as he bowed.

 "Nikki Renner." I bowed a bit back.

  "O I get the Ren-Ren thing now." he smiled. "Renner, Ren-Ren."

 "Or that." I smirked.

 "I bet J.R. is fuming now." he laughed.

 "I hope he is, that jerk."

 "His not so bad once you get to know him." Baekho plaided his statement.

 "Who would want to get to know him? Not me."

 "O come on you seem like such a fun person, O I know why don't you come over to my house later today."

 "Nah I'm good."

 "Please." he said as he grabbed onto me and pulled me into a suffocating hug.

 I started to tap out, "phhin."

 "What was that? I couldn't hear you." he said as he pushed me away but still held onto my shoulders.

 I gasped for air and looked up at him like he was crazy, "I said fine, just don't suffocate me."

 "Great heres my address, a map, my phone number and J.R.s if you get lost. See ya bye." he ran off leaving me dumbfounded.

 I looked around then down at Shasta who was just looking up at me, "Korea...is crazy."